Nut-lock.



NUT LOCK.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 30, 1910.

N A M HE H w w m Patented Ma 7, 1911.

wlmassss r V w I v GEORGE W. WHITEMAN, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-LOCK.

UNITED STATES PiaTENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WHrrn- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel construction of a nut lock or device forpreventing nuts from loosening by turning, and it consists in aspecially constructed-washer plate adapted to coact with the bolt andthe nut and provided with a pair of partially severed and outwardly bentparallel tongues which are adapted to be readily sprung outwardly fromthe body of the nut lock and to be deflected so as to properly engagethe locking nutin a novel manner, said tongues being provided withconvex surfaces adapted to be engaged by the nut proper and being formedby parallel cuts extending in opposite directions through the body ofsaid washer, the rear portion of said tongues being provided withvertically extending recesses, whereby there is no liability for dirt tolodge in proximity to said tongues.

While my invention is especially adapted to be used upon the fish platesof railroad rails, it is adapted-for general use as it is extremelysimple in construction and application and can be readily and cheaplymanufactured in large quantities, being durable andeifective and forminga strong and firm lock that is readily and conveniently applied to anordinary bolt and nut without requiring any alteration thereof.

To the above ends my invention consists of a novel nut lock comprising aplate having parallel tongues deflected from opposite portions of theplate, each of said tongues being provided exteriorly with a convexbearing surface and having recesses at their rear.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as willbe hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred byme, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, although it is to be understood that. the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities asherein shown and described.

Figure. 1 represents a perspective view of a nut lock and its adjunctsembodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on the line w-m,Fig. 1. certain of the parts being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 representsa front elevation of the washer or body portion of the nut lock removed.Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of Fig. '3. Fig. 5 represents aperspective view of the rear of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings :1 designates.

the abutting ends of a pair of rails, which are connected by the usualfish plate 2 and bolt or bolts 3.

My novel construction of locking washer consists of a metallic plate orbody portion 4, whose side portions 5 and 6 to be referred to, arepreferably somewhat pliable, said plate having the preferably centralhole 7 for the bolt 3, upon which latter the nut 8 is engaged in theusual manner. The rear portion of the body 4 is provided on each sidethereof with the vertically extending shoulders or cut away portions 9and 10, whereby the open ended recesses 11 and 12 are formed whichextend vertically and form a continuous open channel between the sidesor tongues 5 and 6 and the contiguous fish plate 2, whereby no dirt orthe like can collect or become lodged in the recesses 11 or 12. Thetongue 5 is formed by slitting the washer 4 from the top thereofdownwardly as indicated at 13 to a point slightly below the center ofthe hole 7, the tongue-or side 5 being then sprung slightly outwardly asindicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The tongue 6 is formed by slitting theopposite side of the body 4, as indicated at 14, from the bottom of saidbody upwardly to a point preferably slightly above the center of thehole 7 substantially as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, said tongue 6 beingsprung slightly outwardly as will be understood from Fig. 4. In order toprovide a good bearing for the nut 8 on the oppositely located tongues5. and 6 I construct each of said tongues with a convex. bcaringsurface, 15, which extends vertically as will be best understood fromFigs. 2, 3 and 4, so that when the parts are as sembled in lockedposition the nut will be in contact with the edges of said tongues,

as best seen at the right of Fig. 1. Both of the cuts or slits 13 and 14are preferably substantially on a line with the shoulders 9 and 10, andeach tongue is formed or sprung outwardly, as seen in Fig. l by theinsertion of a suitable in'iplement or by striking by a han'nner, so asto spring said tongues outwardly so as to bring them into the properposition relative to the nut, when the parts are assembled, as will beclearly understood from the right hand portion of Fig. 1, it beingapparent that the frictional contact of the parallel walls of the nutwith the contiguous portion of the juxtaposed tongues and 6, preventsthe nut from rotation and forms an efiicient and reliable nut lock. Inthe construction shown at the left of Fig. 1 and in Figs. 2 and 3, thenut is shown in the act of being turned into its locked position whichit assumes as at the right of Fig. 1.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that the nutlock proper will be prevented from rotation, as is common in this art,either by the contact of an edge of the same with an upper or lowerabutment, as for example, the upper or lower projecting portion of therail seen in Fig. 1, and that if desired I may employ such otherdevices, as are well known to those skilled in the art, to preventimproper rotation of the washer or nut lock proper.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my novel device is adaptedto be used with bolts having either right or left hand threads withequal facility and I desire to call special attention to the function ofthe recesses 9 and 10, since by the employment of the same it will beapparent that no dirt can lodge in the space between the rear of thetongues 5 and 6 and the contiguous fish plate 2. It will also beapparent that by the employment of the parallel tongues 5 and 6 havingthe convex longitudinally extending parallel ridges 1 5, the nut 8 canreadily engage the-same and be firmly held in the desired position byreason of the collocation of the oppositely extending tongues 5 and 6.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide a nut lockingdevice with one or more tongues projecting there from as seen in thepatent to Krohn No. 723,882, granted March 81, 1903 and Bartley No.11,963, January 28, 1902, but these devices have disadvantages inpractice, by reason of the fact that the rear of the resilient tonguesabuts against the fish plate or other device to which the nut lock isapplied, and provide a pocket or chamber wherein dirt, grit or scale isliable to settle, so that when the nut is tightened the resilientfunction of the spring tongues is al most wholly lost. In'my invention,by the provision of the vertically extending recesses 9 and 10, a pairof vertical open ended recesses is formed through which in practicedirt, grit or scale or the like will drop entirely through and will notlodge therein so that the resilient function of my tongues 5 and 6 isnot impaired. By the provision of the parallel convex surfaces 15co-acting with the tongues 5 and 6 and the vertical. recesses in therear thereof, I am enabled to produce a device having advantageousfeatures over those of the prior art and to none of the constructions ofthe prior art do I herein make my claim.

In the manufacture of my device the plate or body portion of the nutlock 4 can be readily stamped from steel or other material in thedifferent sizes and forms required,

a after which the steps of slittingthe sides of the same at the points13 and 14 to form the tongues 5 and 6 can be readily effected.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and'usefulconstruction of a nut lock, which embodies the features of advantageenumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the abovedescription, and while I have, in the present instance, shown anddescribed a preferred embodiment thereof which has been found inpractice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to beunderstood that the same is susceptible of modification in various par.-ticula-rs without departing from the spirit or scope of the invent-ionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A nut lock washer, consisting of a plate, provided with a bolt hole,and a pair of tongues having convex outer surfaces thereon, said tonguesbeing formed by op.- positely disposed slits extending in oppositedirections on opposite sides of said plate, and being adapted to besprung outwardly from said plate and having recesses in their rear topermit the descent of dirt, scale or the like.

2. A nut lock washer, consisting of a plate, provided with a bolt hole,and a pair of parallel tongues having convex parallel outer surfacesthereon, said tongues being formed by oppositely disposed slitsextending in opposite directions on opposite sides of said plate, andbeing adapted to be sprung outwardly from said plate and having recessesin their rear to permit the descent of dirt, scale or the like.

3, A nut lock washer, consisting of a plate, provided with a bolt holeand a pair of tongues adapted to be sprung outwardly and located onopposite sides thereof, said tongues being formed by slitting said plateon one side from the top downwardly and on the opposite side by aparallel slit extending from the bottom of said plate upwardly andhaving vertical parallel recesses in the rear thereof, Whereby no dirtor scale outer surfaces 15, and the recesses 9 and 10 can lodge inproximity thereto. in the rear thereof, adapted to permit the 4:. In anut lock, the combination with a descent of dirt or scale. bolt and anut of a Washer plate engaging GEORGE W. WVHITEMAN. 5 said bolt, andprovided With tongues 5 and Witnesses: v 6, formed by the oppositelyextending slits, E. HAYWOOD FAIRBANKS, 13 and 14, said tongues havingthe convex C. D. MGVAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

WashingtonJL G.

